compliance

American  

[kuhm-plahy-uhns] / kəmˈplaɪ əns /

noun

1. the act of conforming, acquiescing, or yielding.

2. a tendency to yield readily to others, especially in a weak and subservient way.

3. conformity; accordance.

   in compliance with orders.

4. cooperation or obedience.

   Compliance with the law is expected of all.

5. Physics.

   1. the strain of an elastic body expressed as a function of the force producing the strain.

   2. a coefficient expressing the responsiveness of a mechanical system to a periodic force.

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compliance British  

/ kəmˈplaɪəns /

noun

1. the act of complying; acquiescence

2. a disposition to yield to or comply with others

3.  C.  a measure of the ability of a mechanical system to respond to an applied vibrating force, expressed as the reciprocal of the system's stiffness

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Usage

What is compliance? Compliance is the act of conforming and yielding, as with orders or laws. It is usually used in reference to written rules and regulations or spoken commands, as from police officers or a superior. Compliance can also refer to someone’s tendency to agree, especially in a submissive way. In physics, compliance refers to a coefficient expressing something’s responsiveness or counterforce when force is applied to it. Related to that, compliance is also the strain of an elastic body expressed as a function of the force producing the strain. In other words, compliance describes how easy it is for something to pool or flow within parts of the body or flexible vessels. Example: To be in full compliance with his school’s uniform policy, Tom had to get his hair cut.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overcompliance
  noun
• precompliance
  noun

Etymology

Origin of compliance

First recorded in 1635–45; comply + -ance

Explanation

Compliance is what you do when you try to fit standards set down by someone else. A restaurant chef's compliance with a new sugar-free menu might inspire even the pastry chefs to follow the recipes. Plywood helps illustrate the "pli" in compliance, because if you've ever stepped on a piece of plywood stretched across something, you've felt how it gives underneath your feet. It has flexibility. Compliance means being flexible or yielding and giving in to a situation or order. "Pliant" is part of the word compliance, and it means yielding. Agreeing or bending to something like a plan, rule, or direction is compliance.

Example Sentences

If there is a trial, you’ll want to make a vivid impression on lawyers, judges and compliance officers.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

Sidi Traore, 28, works in legal compliance and research for a state agency.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

The company confirmed this affected the conditions of its licence and that it was "constructively engaging" with regulator Ofwat to "agree certain commitments that will secure a return to compliance".

From BBC • May 31, 2026

“Public companies operate under constant scrutiny: quarterly earnings pressure, extensive reporting requirements, and growing compliance costs,” Ryan Ferrell, an advisor at TritonPoint Wealth, wrote in a blog post earlier this year.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

Her name was Kaprice Wilson, and she was O High’s attendance compliance officer.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

Related Words

• conformity
• consent